Scots rockers Biffy Clyro look back on their first nine appearances at T in the Park

09:43, 7 Jul 2014

Updated 09:49, 7 Jul 2014

ByScotland Now

THIS year's headliners reveal how they almost ended up on the iconic Main Stage by accident during their debut performance at the festival in 1999.

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Biffy Clyro at T in the Park in 2008

SCOTTISH rockers Biffy Clyro have taken 10 attempts to headline the iconic Main Stage at T in the Park, but the band have revealed how they almost ended up on it by accident during their first performance there in 1999.

The band were set to make their debut on the T Break stage, but bassist Ben Johnston admitted they ended up in the wrong place.

Ben said: “I don’t know how we managed to do it but we went in the wrong entrance and ended up backstage at the Main Stage.

“We didn’t have the passes or authority to get there.

“At that point Faithless were on. We put our heads over the fence and could see the place going absolutely crazy.

“It really got the nerves going and we thought, ‘We want to do that’.”

Fifteen years later, the boys will get to achieve their ambition and they reckon it’s been a learning curve after playing lesser slots at the fest in their nine previous stints.

Drummer James Johnston recalled that first gig, saying: “I remember seeing Mogwai and Codeine that year.

“Mogwai were low-key and to have a band that didn’t have vocals was different.

“But that’s the thing about festivals. You don’t have to conform to popular bands. You can do your own thing and still have an impact.”

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Biffy Clyro

Back on the T Break a year later, James got it wrong in the style stakes by wearing shorts.

He laughed: “That was a pretty big mistake. It was hot. They looked s**t and our manager told me that.

“If you look at photographs, it looks terrible. We’ve never cared about how we looked but I did take that one on the chin. It looked like I was there with my big brothers.”

The next year saw the lads playing on Stage Two, but it was first being put on the Main Stage which came as a shock.

James revealed: “We picked a really silly set and played a really angular fast, abrasive show, like you would in a sweaty club.

“That was one of the steepest learning curves for festivals as we realised we went a bit too crazy and should project more.”

This year, the boys feel honoured to be playing as headliners. But if anything they say they are less flamboyant than the early days – scaling back on their rider for starters.